Insulated rail-joint.



C. E. STEVENS.

INSULATED RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED NQV; 13. 1914.

PavtntedSept. 28, 1915.

stern-s Parana canton.

CHARLES E. STEVENS, 0F LENEXA, KANSAS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1915.

. Application filed November 13, 1914. Serial No. 871,928.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES E. STEVENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lenexa, in the county of Johnson and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Insulated Rail- Joints; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an insulated rail joint, and has for its principal ob ect to provide means for insulating abuttlng rails to limit a track circuit to a predetermined block. I

It is also an object of the invention to provide, an insulated joint of this character with means for retaining the ends of rails in spaced relation to prevent wearing of the insulation between the separate alining rails and resultant conduction therebetween.

In accomplishing this object I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure I is a perspective view of abutting rails connected with an insulated joint and containing my improvements. Fig. II is a plan view of the same, with the balls of the rails removed to better illustrate the joint. Fig. III is a detail perspective of one of the joint chairs with its insulating spacer. Fig.

IV is a bottom plan view of the joint. Fig. V is a detail perspective of one of the side insulation spacers. Fig. VI is a detail perspective view of the parting post. Fig. VII

.is a vertical section of the joint on the line V IIVII, Fig. II. Fig. VIII is a perspectire view of the insulation members.

Referring more in detail to the parts: 1 and 2 designate alining rails of a railway track, each of which eompriseswthe ordinary base 3, web 4 and ball 5. The ends of the alining rails are seated in chair members 6 of a rail joint, each of which chair members comprises a fish plate section 7 and base 8, which latter is adapted for extension beneath the end of one of the rails only, in

order that current may not be conducted therethrough to the other rail. The fish plate section 'of each of the joint members comprises a non-insulated member 9 which any suitable material, and is insulated from the fish plate by a sheet 12 o'f'fiber or the like, having an outturned lower edge lip 15 adapted for underlying the base angle of the joint and separating the same from the base of the rail, and provided with an inturned end lip '16 that covers the end of the web to separate the same from the shoulder 17 at the flare of the fish plate.

The fish plate, web rail and web members are provided with apertures for receiving the track bolts 18, each of which is insulated.

from one of the joint members by washers 19 whereby the rails are secured to the oint.

In order to insulate the ends of the rails I provide a parting post 20, of fiber, or other non-conductive material, having the same shape as the cross section of the rail, and which is adapted to insulate the same to prevent current passing from one rail to the other; the lips 16 of the side insulating sheets being. projected into contact.with the parting post to complete the insulation between the rail and the joint members.

.In using the apparatus, presuming the parts to be constructed as described, when the ends of alining rails are placed in position, they arev separated by one of the insulating parting posts, and the joint chairs are applied thereto, so that the apertures in the fish plate portions of the joints register with the bolt apertures in the rail webs. The insulating sheets 12 are located within the joint members, with their end lips projecting toward the parting strip and the wedges are driven to place. The parts are then bolted together and the rails held firmly to the joint, and the joint members held rigid to retain the insulating members that by providingthe wedges creeping of the rails toward each other is obviated, as in order for the rails to approach each other it will be necessary for the wedge to be, forced inwardly between the rail web and fish plate, so that by providing the anti creeping wedges, rubbing and-wearing of the parting post is prevented to insure com-- plete and permanent insulation ofthe rails.

Having thus described my invention, what .I claim as new therein, and desire'to secure a by Letters-Patent, is

' Claims:

1. In an insulated rail joint, the combina ,tion with meeting rails, of joint members having individual chairs for the separate rails,- fish plates on theseparate chairs, having portions extending in opposite directions along the separate spaced rails, insu lated wedge blocks located between the extensions and rails, and insulated bolts, eachattaching the fish plate of one joint memher. and the extension of the other joint meinber and interposed wedge blocks. to a ra1 2. In an insulated rail oint, the combination with meeting rails, of joint members each comprising a fish plate having-a portion lying against one of the rails and spaced from the other rail, Wedge blocks the, other joint member, and having a fish plate integral with the chair and comprising an extension having a flared inner surface" spaced from the web of the meeting rail,

copies of this patent may be obtained for wedge blocks located between the spaced fish late members and the rail webs, insulating sheets located between the wedges and fish plateimembers, and insulated bolts holding the fish plates to'the rails. i 4. In: an insulated rail portionset out from thelcontactin'g part to form avs'houlder and having a flared inner I joint, the combij nationf with meeting rails, of joint members each-having an integral chair projected ben aath onelof the'rails andspaced from a like rjhair' 'on' themating joint member, a fish plate integral with each chair comprising a portion adapted for contact with a rail sup-, ported on the int'egraljchair and an inclined face, wedge blocks located between the flared fishplate members and the rails, insulation sheets located between the wedge blocks and flared fish plate members, bolts clamping.

opposite fish plates and blocks to the rails; each of the bolts from' and means insulating one of the fish plates. n 5. In an insulated rail joint, the combinetion with meeting rails, of joint member's, each having a chair projected beneatho'ne of the rails and having an extension fronr onegedge, with the chair and extension. spaced from the opposite rail and from like; parts on the mating joint members, a fish plate on each chair having a body part and an extension outset from the body part, and

having a flared inner face lying along the;

opposite rail, insulated wedge blockslocated .between the fish plate extension. and the adjacent rails, and insulated bolts extending through the body member of one fish plate,

the wedge block, the rail and the extension of the opposite fish plate. 1

In testimon whereof I afiix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

v CHARLES E. STEVENS.

Witnesses: Y

t D. D. BENTON,

ERNEST OIooNn.

five cents each, by addressing -the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

